


I Miss You, But You're Almost Still Here

by etymology_of_etymology



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Baby!Steven, Crying, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s04e11 Three Gems and a Baby, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Pearl adjusting, Pearl has self-worth issues, Pearl is still mourning Rose, Pearl's self-sacrificing tendencies, Sad Pearl (Steven Universe), Steven is a baby, infant Steven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:20:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23189125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etymology_of_etymology/pseuds/etymology_of_etymology
Summary: Pearl really misses Rose and she doesn't know how to feel about Steven. Or maybe she does.
Relationships: Pearl & Greg Universe, Pearl & Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Pearl & Steven Universe
Comments: 4
Kudos: 51





	I Miss You, But You're Almost Still Here

**Author's Note:**

> Post the Flashback of "Three Gems and a Baby." So Steven is an infant and Greg is having the Gems help out with Steven.

Okay. She had diapers and that weird powder that Greg said ~~Rose~~ Steven had to drink. Human bodies made no sense. By the Diamonds, she missed Rose.   


Pearl made her way up to Vialia's house where Greg and ~~Rose~~ Steven were staying. Pearl hated this. She hated it. She hated it. Rose was really gone and if Rose was gone what was her purpose?  


The house was warm. Is that a good thing? Is being warm good for babies? She didn't know.

"Pearl? Is that you?" 

"Yeah, I have the um, I have the stuff," said Pearl, raising the plastic bag. That was stupid. Why was she raising the bag like that? Greg wasn't in the room. Greg couldn't see the bag.

Then Greg came in the room and he was holding ~~Rose~~ Steven. Steven not Rose. Rose was gone. It was easier to remember that Rose was actually gone when Steven was right in front of her.

Greg was talking now. She hadn't been listening. What if it was important? Oh, he's putting out his hand? He must want the bag. She should hand him the bag. She handed him the bag and he handed her Steven. Wait, what?

"Just support his head," Grey was saying. "I'll be back in a jiffy with his formula."

Pearl wasn't sure how long a jiffy was, but she hoped it wasn't long. If she held Steven for too long she was going to start crying, again. Maybe she should talk to him. Greg's parenting books said one should talk to infants to help them develop language skills. Pearl had spent hours reading each one of those books four times over since the incident with the van and the snowstorm. Yeah, talking.

"Hello, Steven," Pearl said. Steven only gurgled back at her. Well, that was progress at the very least.

"I don't blame you. For Rose, I mean." Steven was staring at her with wide eyes. "I'm not actually sure how I feel about you." The same wide eyes that Rose had had when they explored earth together all those centuries ago. "I miss her," Pearl whispered, she closed her eyes and leaned her head down near Steven.

There was a small hand on her face. She was crying now. It hurt. Why did missing a person hurt so much? If she opened opened her eyes she knew that Steven's expression would look too much like Rose. She kept her eyes closed and continued to just hold Steven.  


"I'll be here for you, for as long as you need me. I would shatter for you, to protect you."


End file.
